Welding apparatus



Oct. 16, 1945. H. P. HEATH ETAL WELDING APPARATUS Filed May 13, .1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l fiTTOE/VEY N m wz A Oct. 16, 1945. HEATH ETAL 2,387,057

WELDING APPARATUS Filed May 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m QR Wa k W $3 n q h l\ 3 W INVENTORS E Q H P HEHTH k K6. WESTON BY V M Patented Oct. 16, 1945 WELDING APPARATUS HerbertP. Heath, Riverside, and Keith A. Weston, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 13, 1943, Serial No. 486,756

3 Claims.

is raised, thereby necessitating dressing the connector to remove the flash. Furthermore, in welding processes previously used,'the pressure exerted on the parts was utilized to intentionally form an upset to squeeze out any impurities.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and eflicient apparatus for welding 2 rods which will not damage the parts being welded together.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is provided comprising a pair of clamping jaws connected to a welding current supply and insulated one from another. One of the jaws, that is, the relatively fixed clamping jaw, is adjustable vertically and horizontally to properly align a rod or wire clamped in it with a rod or wire clamped in the relatively movable jaw which is mounted on a light-weight carriage freely slidable with respect to the-relatively fixed jaw, being urged toward the fixed jaw by a compression spring adjustably mounted to exert a predetermined small amount of pressure, tending to slide the relatively movable jaws toward the relatively fixed jaws. In order to set the jaws so that the desired amount of rod or wire will extend out from each of them, a micrometrically adjustable gage is provided which may be tipped into position to be engaged by the ends of the wires in the jaws. This gage is pivoted on a rod threaded into a portion for the support of the fixed jaw and carries a threading memher for properly locating the relatively movable jaw.

In the operation of the apparatus, a stream of hydrogen is directed onto, the abutting ends of the wire and an operator using the apparatus will disconnect the welding current and shut oil the supply of hydrogen as soon as the abutting ends of the wire begin to appear wet, whereby a weld is efiected with little or no upsetting of material at the joint.

A better understanding of the invention may been welded.

In the drawings, as shown particularly in Figs.

be had by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an apparatus embodying the invention, parts being broken away to conserve space and other parts being broken away to illustrate those parts directly in the rear of them;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing some of the parts in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows showing details of construction of the relatively fixed clamping jaws;

Fig. 4- is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing details of construction of the relatively movable clamping jaws with the gage moved out of gaging position and the clamping jaws closed;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 54 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows and showing the relatively movable clamping jaw in its open position; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view of the clamping ends of the two sets of clamping jaws with a wire or rod clamped in them after it has 1 and 4, the apparatus is shown mounted on an angle member In, to which there is secured, for example by welding, a terminal block H having electrically connected thereto a lead l2, which extends to one side of a source of welding current (not shown). The horizontally extending flange of the angle member 10 may be suitably positioned on a bench or other supporting struc ture and the vertical extending flange thereof, designated l3, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, has a clamping block 14 adjustably mounted thereon by means of a pair of mounting screws l5 and Hi. The mounting screws l5 and I6 extend through apertures l1 and 18 (Fig. 2) in the'flange l3 and are threaded into the block 14. The flange 13 has a way l9 (Fig. 3) formed in it in which a tapered adjusting member 20 is slidable. The tapered adjusting member 20 has a notch 2| ,(Fig. 1) cut in it for receiving a collar 22 formed on adjustment screw 23, which is also provided with a head 24 engaging the end of the tapered adjusting member 20. After the block I4 has been located roughly in position to clamp a wire or rod 25, it may be on theadjusting member 20 and is'interposed' aeieaoev between. an indented surface. 30hr the flange Ia and the rear surface of the clamping block I4. The p'osition ofthe beveled adjusting member maybe regulated by means of an adjusting screw 3! threaded into the flange I3 and having a shoulder 32 engaging a notch 33 (Fig. 2) formed in the beveled adjusting member 29, the adjusting screw 3I being provided with an actuating head 34 which engages the end of the beveled member 29. In this manner, the clamping block I4 may be adjusted both vertically and horizontally to properly align it so that it will support the rod in alignment with a rod clamped in the relatively movable clamping jaw, to be described. I

The clamping block I0 (Fig; 3) has a clamping insert 35 attached to it adjacent its upper end by means of an attaching screw 36, and adjacent its lower end the clamping block I 0 has a hard metal wedge block 31 mounted on it. Mounted in the clamping block I0 is a supporting rod 38,

which extends into a tapered aperture 39 in a clamping lever 40. The clamping lever 00 has set into it at its upper end a clamping insert 0| adapted to cooperate with the insert 35 in gripping a rod 25. The clamping lever 40 is pivotally mounted on the clamp supporting rod 38 by a pivot pin 42, which extends through the supporting rod 38 and into the lever 00. The actuating means for the lever 00 comprises a wedging lever 43, which is mounted in a slot M in the lower end of the lever 40, and is pivoted on a pin 45, whereby when the wedging lever 03 is actuated, the end of the wedglng lever will engage the wedge block 37 and force the clamping insert 4! mounted in the upper end of the clamping lever 00 toward the clamping insert 35 in the upper end of the block I0.

Set into the flange I3, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, is a U-shaped insulator 50, which serves to insulate a rail 5i from the flange I3. The rail 5! is, however, fixed to the flange I3 by means of machine screws 52-52, each of which is threaded into the rail 5i and insulated from the flange I3 by a sleeve 53 and a washer 54 of insulating material. In this manner, the rail Si is fixed to, but insulated from, the flange I3.

The portion-of the rail 5i which extends outwardly from the flange I3 is provided with a pair of grooves 55 and56, which cooperate with grooves 51 and 58, respectively, to receive rows of ball bearings 59 and 00 held in retainer members GI and 62, respectively. The grooves 51 and 58 are formed in bearing bars 63 and 64 suitably attached to a carriage 65. The carriage 65 has a projecting portion 66 (Fig. 2) in which there jaws carried thereby are in electrical connection with the source of welding current through a. flexible connection I5 (Fig. 1). A rod or wire I I0 may be clamped between the clamping inserts 68 and '30 for weldingto the rod 25.

Mounted on the rail 5|, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, is a supporting member 8i, into which is threaded acylin'der 82. The cylinder 82 may thus be adjusted with respect to the supporting member BI to varyv the takeup of a spring 83 seatedin the cylinder and surrounding the shank 86 of a plunger 85. The spring 03 bears against the base of the'cylinder 82 and normally urges the plunger 85 to the left to carry a bearing member 06, mounted in the left end (Figs. 1 and 2), ofthe plunger, into engagement with the. right end of the carriage 05, thereby to urge the carriage 65 to the left. The plunger 85 is pre'- vented from moving beyond a predetermined point when no wires are in the apparatus by a lock nut assembly 81 threaded onto the shank 84 of the plunger and adaptedto engage the right end (Figs. 1 and 2) of the cylinder 82 after the '1 and 5) to support a gage adjusting screw 91.

The screw BI is provided with a reduced portion -98, on which there is pivoted a gage block 99 carrying a gaging arm I00. The gaging arm I00 has threaded into it an abutment screw IOI, which, after being adjusted, may be locked in place by a set screw I02. In addition to the abutment screw IOI, there is mounted in the arm I 00 a stop pin I03, which, when the arm I 00 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, will engage the top surface of the block I0 and projection (it to limit the movement of the arm I00 beyond the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 and in dot and dash lines in Fig. 4. The abutment screw ml is adapted to engage the left edge (Fig. l) of a projection I00 formed on the bearing bar 63 and extending upwardly therefrom (Figs. 1, 4 and 5).

Suitably mounted to direct a stream of hydrogen onto the abuttingends of the rods or wires 25 and H0 is a nozzle III, which may bacon nected to a source of hydrogen by any suitable 'valve mechanism (not shown).

is Set a wedge block 61 and. a clamping insert 68,

a clamping insert I0, similar to the clamping insert GI, the lever 69 and insert 10 being mounted on a clamping lever II, which is, in turn, pivotally positioned on the projection 56 by means of a support I2 and pin I3. The carriage 65, and, consequently. the relatively movable clamping A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following brief description of the mode of operation thereof. In order to put the apparatus in condition for operation, the relatively fixed clamping jaws, including the inserts 35 and M, may be adjusted vertically and horizontally by manipulating the adjusting screws 23 and 3| to bring the inserts 35 and 0| into direct alignment with the inserts B8 and 10. In this manner, the rods or wires held in the clamping inserts will, when the carriage 65 moves to the left (Figs. 1 and 2), move into abutting relation along a common axis. After thus setting the apparatus for operation, the gaging arm I00 may be moved to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and after being moved to that position, the gage adjusting screw 91 and .abutment screw IOI may be adjusted rnicrometribe extended a predetermined distance beyond the adjacent ends of their respective clamping 5 jaws, which distance will depend upon the type of metal from which the rods or wires are formed and aft'er this adjustment has been made in accordance with the types of metals of the two rods to be welded together, the gaging arm 100 may be moved to the position shown in Fig. 4 to permit the wires or rods 25 and III) to move into abutting relation and the welding current connection l5. amount of pressure with which the carriage is urged toward the relativeiyjiixed jaws may be very finely regulated by adjusting thelposition oi. the cylinder 83 with respect to its supporting member 8| and, if desired, the lock nut assembly "may be adjusted on the shank-of thefiiilthagerf 85 to limit the amount of travel {of the relatively movable clampingjjaws towarjd,the relatively fixed clamping jaws when no wires areiclatfiped in the jaws.

Just prior to connecting the welding current to the lead I2 and connection 15, the operator may open thevalve (not shown) to supply hydrogen to the nozzle I l l. The adjustment of the cylinder 82 should be such that the pressure of one wire or rod on the other will be approximately onehalf ounce and as soon as the abutting ends of the wires appear wet, the current and hydrogen supply should be shut off.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for butt welding rods or wires, relatively fixed clamping jaws for clamping one wire in position to have another wire welded to it, a support for said relatively fixed jaws, a set of relatively movable jaws for clamping said other rod or wire in axial alignment with the first mentioned rod or wire, a carriage for supp ting said relatively movable jaws, said carriage being freely slidable with respect to the support, means for urging said carriage to move in a direction tocarry the relatively movable jaws toward the relatively fixed jaws, a gage lever movable to position between rods held by said jaws, means threaded in said support for rotatably supporting said gage lever to position the gage lever with respect to the fixed jaws, and a threaded abutment member threaded in said gage lever for positioning the relatively movable jaws with respect to the relatively fixed jaws.

2. In an apparatus for butt welding rods or wires one to another, relatively fixed clamping jaws, a support for said jaws, a rail member mounted on said support and insulated therefrom, a carriage freely slidable on said rail member, relatively movable clamping jaws supported by said carriage, a gage movable to position between said jaws for engaging wires clamped therein, a support for said gage threaded in the support for the clamping jaws for adjustin the position of the gage with respect to the relatively fixed clamping jaws, a threaded abutment member on said gage for positioning the relatively movable clamping jaws with respect to the relatively fixed clamping jaws whereby the amount of wire extending from each of said clamping jaws may be closely regulated, and means for urging said carriage to carry the relatively movable J'aws toward the relatively fixed jaws.

3. In an apparatus for butt welding rods or wires, relatively fixed clamping jaws for clamping one wire in position to have another wire welded to it, a set of relatively movable jaws for clamping said other rod or wirein alignment with the first-mentioned rod or wire, means for supporting the relatively movable jaws for movement toward and away from the relatively fixed Jaws, gage means movable to position between rods held by said jaws, and an adjustable abutment member on said gage means for positioning the relatively movable jaws with respect to the relatively fixed jaws.

HERBERT P. HEATH. KEITH A. WESTON. 

